CHAPTER 53: It wasn’t just an ending. It was the beginning.

The day they set off, the sky stretched wide above them—clear, boundless, and full of promise.

At the front gate of the borderline, their carriage stood ready. The horses snorted softly, their hooves shifting against the cobblestone road. The wind carried the soft scent of flowers, mingling with the distant voices of the villagers who had gathered to bid them farewell.

Sakura knelt beside Drake, patting the dog’s fluffy head as she exchanged quiet words with Aunt Patty. A small smile played at her lips, though her eyes lingered with a quiet warmth.

Anna, meanwhile, was distracted—her gaze locked on Melinda, who was surrounded by other women. Her expression twisted. “Is it normal to be that… large?”

Helion let out a light chuckle nearby as he flipped his coin lazily in the air, pretending not to hear.

On the other side, Kaziel stood overwhelmed as several girls crowded him with farewell gifts, their eyes sparkling far too brightly for his comfort. He tried to keep his cool, offering polite thanks, but it only seemed to make things worse.

Baihou clicked his tongue with clear irritation. “Tch. He’s not even trying…”

Leina stood behind them all, quiet, watchful. Her gaze swept over the people, the town, the moment—like she was etching it all into her memory.

“Ahh…” Grandpa Otto sighed, his voice laced with both fondness and regret. He stood beside the carriage, hands clasped behind his back.
“How I wish I could keep you all at my inn a little longer…”

His gaze lingered on Helion.

The golden-eyed weaver of fate flipped his coin again, catching it effortlessly between two fingers without even glancing. A soft breeze stirred his golden hair.

“If fate so wills,” he said in that quiet, poetic tone of his, “then the thread that binds us will cross again—somewhere, sometime.”

“Ha! Very poetic, young man!” Grandpa Otto laughed heartily.

“He sure does,” Anna said with a shrug, though a faint smile tugged at her lips.

“Well, well… Mayor Otto!”

Everyone turned.

Grandpa Whisker approached with his hands behind his back, a knowing grin on his face. “So, they’ve been living under the mayor’s roof this whole time, huh?”

Anna blinked. “M-Mayor?!”

The group froze.

Kaziel raised an eyebrow. Sakura’s eyes widened slightly. Even Helion paused mid-coin flip.

Baihou casually crossed his arms and nodded. “Yeah. He’s the mayor of Velmore.”

“W–What?! Why didn’t anyone tell us?!” Anna looked genuinely betrayed as she spun toward Otto. “We’ve been here for weeks!”

Leina shot her a sideways glance, voice flat.
“You didn’t ask.”

Helion let out a quiet sigh, eyes shutting as if in defeat.
“I can’t read that old man…”

“Well, that’s just one of Mayor Otto’s habits,” the officer said, crossing his arms beside the old man. “But I’ll admit… usually, I’m the one doing all the work—he just signs the papers.”

Grandpa Otto simply laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Haha! It’s not like I wanted you to call me ‘Mayor’ anyway. Titles don’t mean much to me. I just… love this town.”

His gaze softened as he looked toward the horizon.

“I chose to stay farther from the city center… to enjoy the view from the inn. And now, after all these years, I can finally see it again.”

And he was right.

The clouds drifted across a sky painted soft blue, the kind of blue some of them had never seen since arriving in Velmore. The wind whispered gently through the tall grass, carrying scents of fresh soil and flowers in bloom.

It was peaceful.

It was alive.

For the first time in decades, the land was free.

From every corner of Velmore, bells rang and voices lifted. The villagers had already begun preparing for celebration. Lanterns were being strung. Banners waved gently in the breeze.

A festival was coming.

And this time—

It wasn’t for fear, or remembrance.

It was for joy.

For rebirth.

For hope.

Kaziel smiled as he turned to the old man with a nod of respect.
“It’s our duty to help—whatever we can, whenever we can.”

There was confidence in his voice. A quiet strength in his gaze.

Grandpa Whisker blinked, then leaned in slightly, squinting at Kaziel’s face as if something clicked.
“Wait a minute… you… oh! That look in your eyes—”

His expression brightened with realization.
“Kaelwyn… Vaenstorm Elydris… Ah, that’s it! I finally recall the name!”

Kaziel’s eyes widened—just slightly. But it was enough for the others to notice.

Grandpa Whisker chuckled, rubbing his chin with a nostalgic smile.
“He was my friend, you know. We fought side by side during the first Lunaflora attack… decades ago.”

Grandpa Otto’s brows lifted in surprise. “Ohh, now that you say it… yes! Yes! That’s the one! Kaziel, he’s the guy I was talking about all this time! How did I not put the pieces together sooner?” He laughed, shaking his head.
“The hero of Velmore!”

Kaziel lowered his head slightly, his voice softer than before.
“…That was my father.”

Sakura turned to him as Anna and Helion knew already.

But Leina, who was normally composed, was caught off guard.
“Kaziel’s father…?” she echoed. “I read about him. I didn’t realize…”

Baihou stood quietly beside them. He knew Kaziel’s father by name—but never knew he once saved this very town.

The two old men looked at each other, then at Kaziel, grinning.
“Well, that explains everything!”
“No wonder you carry that spark!”

Kaziel stood silent for a moment, gazing out toward the skyline.
The winds swept gently through his hair.

He never thought his father had a legacy here.

But now he knew.

Kaelwyn Vaenstorm Elydris wasn’t just a warrior.

He was the warrior who once saved Velmore.

A legend.

And Kaziel...

He was walking the same path.

Even if he never realized it until now

Their conversation slowly came to a close, and the wind carried a gentle stillness around them.

Baihou and Kaziel stood facing each other, their gazes locked—brothers in battle, in spirit.

With a small grin, Kaziel raised his fist.
“Baihou. Be careful out there. Wherever your path leads.”

Baihou’s eyes shimmered slightly as he bumped fists with him, the sound light yet full of weight.
“Same to you, brother… Don’t forget us!” His voice cracked a little, but he held his grin.
“’Til our paths cross again!”

Leina, watching the two, smiled softly before turning toward Sakura and Anna.

“So I’m guessing you two will be heading back to Caelivara?” Anna asked curiously.

Leina shook her head lightly.
“We might visit Caelivara for a bit… but I need to travel to Elyssia first.”

Her eyes turned toward the far horizon.
“It’s my hometown. I need to reconnect with my ability… and learn how to use Elyssence properly again. I think I’ve forgotten how.”

Sakura’s eyes widened slightly.

Elyssia.

It made sense now. Leina had been learning magic, but she was Elyssian by blood—just like those she once knew at the farmland.

And now, standing here, Sakura realized something.

Those eyes.

Leina’s ocean-blue gaze reminded her of them. Her friends from long ago. The quiet strength, the sadness, and the hidden hope.

That mesmerizing blue.

The mark of someone born from Elyssia.

Someone who had once known pain—but kept walking anyway.

Their carriage waited by the gate, and Kaziel’s horse stood ready, its mane catching the light breeze. The group stood still for a moment, taking in the sight—this place they had fought for, bled for… and saved.

Then—

“Safe travels!!” someone shouted.

And like a wave, voices rose across the field.

“Thank you!!”
“Come back again someday!”
“We’ll never forget what you did!”

Villagers gathered by the roadside, hands raised, smiles blooming. Children ran beside the carriage for a few steps before waving wildly.

Baihou, waving both arms with Leina by his side, as his eyes brimmed with tears.
“Collectooorsss—! I’ll miss youuu!”

Sakura, Anna, and Helion sat at the edge of the carriage, turning for one final look.

Sakura raised her hand in a quiet wave.

She smiled—
A small, aching feeling stirring inside her.
She was going to miss them.

Up ahead, Kaziel glanced back over his shoulder.
The breeze caught his blue hair as he lifted his hand in a parting wave.
And so—

They crossed the border.

The arch of Velmore’s gate behind them slowly faded from view, replaced by the wide stretch of the coastline ahead. The sea wind picked up, and the trees bent gently as if bowing in farewell.

It wasn’t just an ending.

It was the beginning.

Of a new journey.

To the Selphine Kingdom—

Where the next story would unfold.

Beneath the chapel— hidden within a sacred chamber veiled in soft, divine light— only the Priestess and a chosen few were ever permitted to enter.

She stood alone beneath the great dome at the heart of the sanctum.

The air shimmered faintly with the soft, melodic echo of a woman’s voice filled the hall like a lullaby the world had forgotten.

The light fell gently upon her figure— the High Priestess of the Selphine Kingdom… Amastacia.

Her emerald eyes gleamed, reflecting the glow of the sapphire crystals arranged before her. Silky, golden-blonde hair cascaded down her back, the tips brushing the embroidered fabric of her gown. She wore a flowing soft green dress that danced like leaves in a spring breeze, crowned with a delicate circlet of tiny flower-beads resting atop her head—simple, but divine.

The elf priestess smiled, her voice soft as a prayer.

“Kaziel and the others have crossed the border…”

A pause.

“That’s a relief.”

The Divine's Petal Journey, End. Vol 1